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j during their menstrual periods is to girdle UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE. N

ALFRED A. STARR, or NEw YORK, `N. Y.

CATAMENIA'L SUPPORTER.

Specification ofLetters Patent No. 11,574, dated August 22, 1854.`

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED A. STARR, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and `useful Apparatus for Females, entitled the Catamenial Ame1iator; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof.` j

The nature of my improvement consists in providing a doubleacting spring intended to girdle thewaist of the female, to which the napkins used to cover` the vulva during i the period of menstruation may be conai napkin.

veniently attached. j n

To enable others lskilled in the art to make and use my improvement I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to` the annexed drawings forming a *part of `this specification, in

2o` i j `li`igure 1 exhibits the mode of using my imf- Fig. 2, top view of the spring.

whichi provement, Fig. 3, section of the same.

Similar letters refer to like parts.

a, inner spring. ,outer spring. c inner spring. l outer spring. `e ef adjusting screw. f f adjusting screw. g, h, rivets.

The `method `usually adopted by females to secure themselves from inconvenience themselves with a tape or string to which the ends of the napkin used tocover the vulva are attached. This method is attended with several objectionable features: such as the inconvenience of adjusting the napkins and the tendency of the girdlingstring to chafe, and cut into the flesh, producing pain and soreness. By the employment oi" my catamenial ameliator these objections are done away with.

This apparatus consists of four light elastic steel-springs.` The inner spring, a, is united to the outer semicircular spring, b, by means of a rivet at, r71,. The `inner spring, c, is riveted to` the outer. semicircular spring, CZ, by means of a rivet at, g. The outer spring, Z), isV adjusted and fastened vto the outer spring, CZ, by means of an adjusting screw at, j", of which 7" is the nut.

The outer spring, b, is slotted in the manner j shown in Fig. 3. The other end of the outer spring, d, is slotted and secured in the same manner by means of an adjusting screw at, e, with nutge,` as shown. This combination forms an elastic girdle possessing the property of adjusting itself to the form of the individual wearing the same; while by its adjusting, screws its pressure upon the body may be regulated at pleasure. In order to apply it to the waist the two parts, Z9, and, e, are supported and ALFRED A. STARR.

Witnesses:

A. G. BEACH, i P. MCDONNELL.

placed `around the waist.v The slotted ends are now placed under the j 

